Late Tuesday the hurricane was downgraded to tropical storm status as sustained winds fell to 70 mph. At 11 p.m., forecasters at the Central Pacific Hurricane Center in Honolulu said the storm's center was centered 175 miles south-southwest of Hilo, moving toward the west-northwest near 10 mph. The storm was forecast to weaken during the next 24 hours.

A hurricane watch for the Big Island was canceled, but a tropical storm warning remained in effect Wednesday.

Local officials braced for the high surf,and police issued appeals Tuesday for people to avoid beaches, KITV-TV, Honolulu, reported.

Forecasters said the island's Kau District could receive 10 or more inches of rainfall, while 5-10 inches were predicted on the eastern slopes.